LIFE ART
The Isolation Blues;
reflections during covid-19
from the “Collected Artwork of Miles Davis”
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“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it…While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol
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Right now it feels like everything is on hold as things we would normally be doing and life as we know it is “temporarily suspended.” I still get up in the morning and put a pot of coffee on the stove first thing just to establish a semblance of normalcy, but beyond that, I don’t have much control over what happens next…Local businesses, schools and civic organizations are making the necessary adjustments, but it’s still hard to walk through downtown Market Square and see the closures. Our restaurants and cafes are being creative offering curb-side pickup and take out, banks are open for drive-though customers and students are continuing their studies via technology at home. Linda has even started teaching her yoga classes on-line with a streaming platform. Suite Seven is now a virtual yoga studio! Although these are crisis driven innovations, it does demonstrate the creativity and flexibility of our human species. I call this “life-art.” How do we create beauty, function, connection (and cash flow) out of the available colors on our life palette?
Linda and I recently tuned into an on-line concert on our laptop computer. For years now country singer Willie Nelson has hosted an annual music festival in the backyard of his Texas ranch called The Luck Reunion. Faced with cancellation this year due to the coronavirus, Willie decided to take it digital and renamed the event “Til Further Notice” with performers broadcasting from their own homes, studios or vacated record stores encouraging fans to donate to a virtual tip jar with proceeds going to the artist’s specified charity or a fellow performer in need. Over twenty singer-songwriters performed 15 minutes sets including Tami Neilson, Lucinda Williams, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, (a guest appearance by Woody Harrelson), Neil Young and of course the Nelson Family. Texas musician Paul Cauthen said, “Our world’s in a weird time, but with music and love we can get through anything.” That is life-art.
The Cup Cafe has been closed for two weeks now and we had to cancel our last live performance at the coffeehouse. Who knows how long it will be before we turn the lights and the espresso machine back on? These days nothing is business as usual. But new challenges can lead to new solutions. Perhaps we will finally stream the coffeehouse live, something we’ve talked about doing for years?! Suddenly we have the time, and dare I say, opportunity to move forward into new life-art. Even as times are hard and uncertain, I can’t help but notice how people are stepping forward to support each other, to support the businesses and charities they care about, taking a moment to look around and appreciate the people and things most important to them. I find this encouraging and it helps motivate me to do the same.
Be kind to each other and cherish each day.
Still in the woods,
Dave
March 27, 2020